Inky Paws Challenge 244 ~ Fall Halloween Theme Challenge {Week 1}

 Hello there crafty friend!

Who's up for a new challenge?! It's time to get our paws inky with a fun theme challenge! I always love the theme challenges! So many possibilities! You have until Friday, September 26th to get your entries in for the #244 Fall/Halloween Theme Challenge and a chance to win a $20 store credit to Newton's Nook Designs!

Inky Paws Challenge #244 - Fall/Halloween

This is probably my most favorite challenge... I love everything Fall! And Halloween is definitely a favorite around our house! Can't wait to see all the fun entries for this challenge!

I started with my background for this card. I secured the Falling Leaves Stencil over a card front of Kraft card stock using iCraft Pixie Tape. Starting in the bottom right corner I blended Mustard Seed, Carved Pumpkin, Barn Door, and Vintage Photo Distress Inks. To get a nice blend I went over each color a couple of times until I was happy with the blend.

I die cut the background using the postage stamp die from the Framework Die Set and adhered the panel to a Kraft A2 top fold card base. Next, I stamped the adorable kitty from the Newton's Reading List Stamp Set. I also stamped the smaller stack of books with the coffee cup from the Autumn Reads Stamp Set. By combining these two stamp sets I was able to achieve a Fall theme.

Here's a quick list of the Copic markers I used:

Kitty: YR20, YR21, YR15, YR27, R00, R20, C0, C2

Collar: R20, R14, R27, Y15, Y28

Coffee Cup: YR20, YR15, YG03, G94, E51, E25

Leaves: Y11, Y15, YG03, G94, E11, E25, YR20, YR15

Books: Y11, Y15, E51, E11, E25, YG03, G94, YR20, YR21, YR15, R20, R14, R27, C0, C2, C3, C5

Once I had the images colored, I die cut them using the coordinating dies from the Newton's Reading List Die Set and the Autumn Reads Die Set. I stamped the fun book title for the yellow book using Memento Tuxedo Black ink. I did look through all of my Fall stamps and couldn't find one to fit on the book so I decided to stamp a sentiment from the Autumn Reads Stamp Set. I popped up the kitty and the sentiment on the card with foam tape. Doesn't this book loving kitty just look so cozy?!

Now it's your turn to get your paws inky with your Newton's Nook Designs products and create a project using this fun theme. Be sure to link up to the Inky Paws Challenge! Can't wait to see your projects!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Inky Hugs,

Crystal

Membership Wednesday ~ August 2025 KOM Season of Soft & Spooky ~ Unity Stamp Co.

Hello there crafty friend!

Happy Membership Wednesday! Today I'm sharing a lovely Fall card featuring the beautiful leaves from the August 2025 Kit of the Month membership from Unity Stamp Co. 

I started with a white card front measuring 4-1/4 x 5-1/2". I masked the two ends with each with a piece of iCraft Pixie Tape. I blended Mustard Seed Distress Ink over the center portion of the card. I dried the ink with a heat tool and then applied an anti-static powder to the area. I stamped the two leaves with a watermark ink and then dusted the wet ink with clear embossing powder. I melted the powder with a heat tool.Once the embossed areas had cooled, I blended Carved Pumpkin Distress Ink over the area. I dried the area with a heat tool applied anti-static powder again. I stamped two more leaves with clear embossing ink and then sprinkled clear embossing powder over the wet ink. I melted the powder with a heat tool. So at this point I had the yellow and orange leaves on my masked panel.

I used the very same steps with the remaining leaves using Lumberjack Plaid and Vintage Photo Distress Inks. I finished off the panel with some Walnut Stain and Black Soot Distress Inks. The top left and bottom left leaves were done with Vintage Photo even though it looks a bit red. Not sure why. 

I used the same technique for this card that I shared a couple of years ago using the October 2022 Kit of the Month called Change & Direction. If the video above doesn't work you can use this link... Emboss Resist Technique | October 2022 Kit of the Month | Unity Stamp Co.

I stamped the sentiment with Black Amalgam ink and then trimmed the panel to 4 x 5-1/4". I wrapped the panel a few times with black burlap string and tied a bow. I adhered the panel to a black A2 top fold card base and then added a few reddish enamel dots.

Here's a quick look at this month's Kit of the Month membership!

Another option is to get this kit separately here... Grunge Grove.

Well, that's it for me today! I hope you've been INKspired to play with your membership stamps! Have a fab day!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Inky Hugs,

Crystal

Membership Wednesday ~ September 2024 UU Some Moments are Gold ~ Unity Stamp Co.

  Hello there crafty friend!

Today I'm sharing a quick Fall card featuring the lovely stamp from the September 2024 Uniquely Unity membership from Unity called Some Moments are Gold. A little heat embossing with repeat stamping plus some splatters... gotta love a quick card!

I started by prepping my Kraft card stock from Papertrey Ink using the TE Anti-Static Powder Tool from Taylored Expressions. I stamped the sentiment first with Wow Clear Embossing Ink. I applied some Golden Gourd Embossing Powder from Brutus Monroe over top the wet ink and then melted the powder with a Wagner Precision Heat Tool. I then stamped the pretty leaf multiple times over the background. I turned it this way and that... it almost feels like the leaves are falling.

I dusted the panel with the embossing powder and then melted all the powder with the heat tool. I love this embossing powder over the kraft. It gives it a nice yellow/orange gold color. I masked the sentiment with a piece of post it note. I added some spatters to the background using Bronze and Dark Roast Silk from Fun Stampers Journey. I heat set the spatters with the heat tool and then I die cut the panel using the largest scallop die from the BIG Scallops & Rectangles {nesting dies}. 

The panel is adhered to a 4-1/8 x 5-3/8" piece of Early Espresso card stock from Stampin' Up. And then the whole panel is adhered to a Kraft A2 top fold card base. I don't know about you but I am so ready for Fall and this sentiment is me wishing it gets here soon!

 

Here's a quick look at this month's Uniquely Unity membership! SO beautiful!

That's it for me today! I hope you've been inspired to play with your membership stamps! 

Hope you have an INKtastic day!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

See ya next time.

Inky Hugs,

Crystal

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Membership Monday ~ October 2021 Whit Kit Fall Y'all ~ Unity Stamp Co.

 Hello there crafty friend!

I am back with one last card using the beautiful October 2021 Whit Kit from Unity Stamp Co called Fall Y'all. For this one I got inky and sparkly... I really had fun! I also thought it was about time to bring back my Membership Monday blog posts... I hope to share inspiration from the wonderful Memberships available at Unity each week. I hope you'll stop and check them out!

I ink blended Mustard Seed, Carved Pumpkin and Vintage Photo Distress Oxide inks on a white card front and then I splattered the background with some Ground Espresso Distress Oxide ink that was spritzed with just a bit of water. 

Once the background was dry, I stamped a bunch of leaves all over the background with Wow Clear Embossing ink and then I melted the Pearl Gold Sparkle Embossing Glitter. I wish the photos picked up more of the pretty sparkle... in person this is really pretty!!

I wanted to contrast the bright leaves so I cut the dark brown pattern paper to 4 x 5-1/4". I stamped the sentiment with Ground Espresso Distress Oxide ink and then used the fabulous dies to cut the sentiment.

 All that was left was to adhere the leaves and sentiment to the dark brown pattern paper. I trimmed the leaves that hung over the edge of the pattern paper and then adhered those on some edges to fill the paper a bit more. I adhered the card front to a white A2 top fold card base to finish off the card. I just love how this one turned out!! So sparkly and pretty!

Even though the kit isn't available anymore, the stamps and papers are available separately at Unity Stamp Co. Be sure to check out the Whit Kit membership at Unity... the new November kit is amazing!! I can't wait to ink it up! I'm thinking I'll share some inspiration next week for Membership Monday! 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

See ya next time.

Inky Hugs,

Crystal

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Happy Fall Y'all ~ October 2021 Whit Kit Fall Y'all ~ Unity Stamp Co.

 Hello there crafty friend!

I'm back with my second card using the fabulous October 2021 Whit Kit called Fall Y'all from Unity Stamp Co. I am loving all the pretty papers in the kit and thought it would be fun to stamp the leaves on some of the papers and die cut them to use on my card.

I used a strip of the leaves paper that was already cut in my paper pack. I tried placing the leaves in different places on the card but nothing seemed quite right. I think it looks good though like a border on the card.

I kinda wish I had used a smaller piece of the leaf paper but I had already adhered it to the card. It didn't leave me with much space for the sentiment.

I stamped the sentiment with Ground Espresso Distress Oxide ink and then die cut it. I temporarily placed the die cut sentiment on the card so I could figure out placement for the "Y'ALL" using my stamp platform. All that was left to finish up the card was to adhered the die cut sentiment. This was another pretty quick card using the kit. 

Even though the kit isn't available anymore, the stamps and papers are available separately at Unity Stamp Co. I'll be back on Monday with one more pretty card using this fabulous card kit!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

See ya next time.

Inky Hugs,

Crystal

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Autumn Blessings Card ~ October 2021 Whit Kit Fall Y'all ~ Unity Stamp Co.

 Hello there crafty friend!

I've been so focused on Christmas cards lately that I completely forgot about the gorgeous October 2021 Whit Kit called Fall Y'all from Unity Stamp Co. With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, I thought it would be a good time to play with this kit!

My first card is very simple... just how I like my cards! I cut the pretty leaf paper into a 4 x 4" square and then cut it diagonal. I cut a piece of white card stock to 4 x 5-1/4" and then I placed the leaf paper on top of the white card stock in my Stamp Platform.

I was then able to line up where I wanted the beautiful Autumn Blessings stamp from the Fall Y'all stamp kit. I stamped it with Ground Espresso Distress Oxide ink. And then I used my VersaMarker to add some clear watermark ink to the edges of the leaf paper. 

I added a bit of the Wow Pearl Gold Sparkle Embossing Glitter from the card kit to the watermark ink and melted it with my Mini Wagner heat tool. I just love the sparkly touch it gives to the card! I adhered the leaf papers to the white card front piece and then adhered the entire panel to a kraft A2 top fold card base. So pretty!

Unfortunately, this kit isn't available any longer, but you can purchase the stamps and papers separately at Unity Stamp Co. I'll be back on Sunday with another pretty card using this fabulous card kit!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

See ya next time.

Inky Hugs,

Crystal

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~ Friends of Unity September 2020 Blog Hop ~

 Hello there crafty friend!

Welcome to the September 2020 Friends of Unity Blog Hop!! We have a fun cue for this month...

Friendship!! Such a fitting cue for the Friends of Unity!

I love my crafty friends and the gals in the Friends of Unity are some of my dearest friends!

I created my cards with you all in mind!

I was inspired by the gorgeous fall card shared by Dana Gebhard Johnson in the Unity Show & Tell Facebook group. She used a beautiful combination of alcohol inks to create a stunning background for her beautiful card. I didn't have quite the same colors but I sure had fun playing!! It's been along time since I pulled out the alcohol inks and got inky... literally, my finger tips were a mess! lol

I used Willow, Sunset Orange, Turquoise, Espresso, Copper Mixative, and lots of Alcohol Blending Solution on Alcohol Ink Yupo White Heavystock. I used Early Espresso and Tranquil Tide card stock for this card.

Some of the texture in this background is the fuzzies from the mini applicator felt... lol... I picked most of it off but left it on this one. I actually like the added texture. I used Early Espresso (again) and Tangerine Tango for this card.

I really love how this background turned out, but it's not my favorite...

This one is my favorite!! My husband said we should have framed them and hung them in the house. I almost said yes... but I wanted to share them.

There's a bit of that fuzzy texture in this one too, but the Copper Mixative really adds to the beauty in this one. The pictures don't quite show it, sadly. I used Early Espresso (yes, again) and Copper Kraft stock from Tim Holtz for this one.

For my last piece of yupo I also played with the Alcohol Lift Ink along with the gorgeous Thankful and Grateful Fall September 2018 sentiment kit. Actually, I used the sentiment kit for all of the cards... but I only used the leaves for this last card. I stamped the leaves on a 4-1/4 x 5-1/2" card front of kraft with Wow Clear Embossing ink. I set it aside to dry because I just wanted the watermark effect. 

I then stamped the leaves with Alcohol Lift Ink on my last alcohol ink panel... I love how it didn't lift the Copper Mixative on the card so there's drips and drops over the lightened leaves. Since this background was lighter, I went with a kraft card front rather than the darker Early Espresso and mat the background panel with the Copper Kraft stock. The sentiments were all stamped with Wow Clear Embossing ink and then I heat embossed Brutus Monroe Alabaster White embossing powder.

I'm really happy with how these all turned out! I hope you're inspired too!

Be sure to hop along and comment on each of the blogs for your chance to win one of the giveaways!

Let's get to the hopping...

Crystal <--- you're here

up next ---> Eileen

Bobbie Sue

Kim

Amber

Dawn F.

Robyn

Joyce

Thanks so much for supporting our little hop! We appreciate you so much!

See ya next time.

Inky Hugs,

Crystal

~ Friends of Unity October Blog Hop ~

Hello! Happy World Cardmaking Day!! I hope that you get to play on this day for us card making peeps! Speaking of... can you believe that it's October already?! Time is flying by so quickly. I do love the cooler temperatures and the gorgeous colors appearing in the trees. Speaking of trees... wink wink... our Cue for the Friends of Unity October Blog Hop is Leaves.

I LOVE Fall! I've mentioned this in other posts. I just can't help myself... the rich oranges, yellows, reds and even the browns! Sigh... I love love love them! Add to that an adorable fall themed stamp set and Oh My Goodness... again, I say Love!

Another thing that I love... is a good sketch! I found this sketch in my Sketch Journal and thought it would be perfect to showcase this adorable stamp from the Hoppy Fall stamp set. I started by stamping this sweet bunny and a few leaves using Gina K's Black Amalgam on white card stock AND on Canson XL watercolor paper. The card above was colored using the following Copic markers ~ Y000, Y02, Y06, Y11, YG0000, YG61, YG63, YR15, YR16, YR68, R14, R20, R27, N0, E000, E23, E25, E30, E31. I die cut the bunny with the Labels Three die from Spellbinders. I also die cut a piece of Kraft card stock that I cut in half and adhered just on the edges of the bottom and top portion of the main panel. Since the center portion wasn't adhered, I could slide my patterned paper in between the layers of the focal image. I adhered those pieces in place and then popped up the whole piece on the layers adhered to a Kraft card base.

For my second card, I flipped the sketch and also watercolored the image using ZIG Clean Color Real Brush pens with similar colors to the Copic colored version. I changed up the patterned papers a bit but I really love how these two cards turned out.

The inside of the first card. I added a piece of white card stock with a strip of patterned paper and stamped the entire sentiment with Memento tuxedo black ink.

The inside of the second card... just like the first, I added a piece of white card stock with a strip of patterned paper and stamped the entire sentiment with Memento tuxedo black ink.

Surprise!! I have another card!! Did you know that the beautifully colored part of the Poinsettia plant is actually colored bracts which are modified leaves?! A fun fact I've learned and one of the reasons I'm playing with the Poinsettia with Love sentiment kit for this hop. Let's check out the card I made...

I started with a pretty simple sketch idea with a diagonal cut of patterned paper mat on a piece of gold card stock, also cut diagonally. I wanted the words on the paper to stand out so I adhered the mat patterned paper to a white card base. I then stamped the gorgeous poinsettia on a piece of Canson XL watercolor paper (110 lb) using Amalgam black ink. I watercolored the image with ZIG Clean Color Real Brush pens and once it was dry, I fussy cut it out. I added some gold to the center of the flower using a gold gel pen and I also added some glossy accents to the red berries to give them some shine.

I popped up the fussy cut poinsettia on the card using dimensionals and that was it... I absolutely love how this card turned out! I originally wanted to add a sentiment near the top in the white portion of the card, but decided against it. I just love it how it is... so I'll add a sentiment inside or maybe I'll just leave it blank to hand write my holiday greetings to the recipient... who knows?!

Thank you friends for checking out my blog post! I sure hope that you like the cards I've shared today. There are a few giveaways this month so be sure to check out each of the blog posts and comment. We absolutely love all of your comments!

Now I think it's time to get hopping!

Kim

Robyn

Bobbie Sue

Crystal <--- you're here

up next ---> Eileen

Jeanie

Dawn

Joyce

See ya next time.

Inky Hugs!

~ Crystal

Fall Coffee Lovers Blog Hop ~ Pumpkin Spice

I had so much fun yesterday making my first card for the Fall Coffee Lovers blog hop that I couldn't help but make another card!! I had originally planned on using this cup from Unity's Pumpkin Spice kit on the first card, but I couldn't find it in my stash. *gasp* I decided to reorganize my stamps and happened to find it... YAY! Of course, I had to celebrate and make a card!

For this card I decided to pick out the patterned paper before I started. I chose these Fun Stampers Journey papers that were in my stash and paired them with some Papertrey Ink card stock. I stamped the image using Memento tuxedo black ink and colored it in using copic markers. I fussy cut it out and set it aside. I die cut the patterned paper and adhered it to the card base. I then die cut some Vintage Cream card stock and stamped the sentiment. I tied some twine and popped up the image using dimensionals. I really love the non-traditional fall colors in this card!!

Check out the other hoppers ---> here.

Thanks for stopping by!

See ya next time.

~ Crystal